Cider Donuts, Orchards & Autumn Magic!
There are few better excuses for a romantic autumn escape than Apple Hill Harvest Days.
As the air turns crisp and the Sierra foothills begin glowing with fall color, the hills come alive with everything we love about the season—orchards heavy with apples, warm pastries fresh from the oven, scenic country roads, colorful pumpkins, local wine, crisp hard cider, flower gardens, farm stands, and plenty of opportunities to slow down and enjoy the person beside you.
And, of course, there’s apple pie. You may tell yourself you’re only stopping for one. Spoiler alert: You’re buying the pie!
Make your Autumn adventure even more special with a stay at Bella Vista B&B Inn, a romantic retreat in the Sierra foothills, conveniently located about 20 minutes from the Apple Hill farms and activities. After a day of exploring orchards, sipping cider, sampling wine, and collecting far too many delicious treats, it’s the perfect place to unwind, reconnect, and enjoy the peaceful beauty of the foothills.
Welcome to Apple Hill
Located near Camino and Placerville, Apple Hill has been welcoming visitors for more than 50 years.
What began with 16 original apple ranches in 1964 has grown into a beloved community of more than 50 growers and agricultural businesses, including orchards, farms, bakeries, wineries, cider makers, flower gardens, and seasonal attractions.
And during harvest season, the entire area feels like one giant celebration of autumn.
The best part? There isn’t one single attraction you have to rush toward.
The adventure is in the exploring.
Follow the winding country roads. Watch for farm signs. Pull into an orchard that catches your eye. Stop when something smells too good to resist. Wander through a farm stand. Take a scenic detour.
Some of your favorite memories may come from the places you never planned to visit.
Start With an Orchard Adventure
Apple Hill is made for wandering.
Throughout harvest season, orchards offer apples and other seasonal produce, farm products, flowers, pumpkins, baked goods, cider, and plenty of opportunities to experience farm life. Depending on the crop and timing, some growers offer U-pick apples and other fruit, giving you the chance to fill a basket while enjoying the scenery.
Apple Farms & Harvest Adventures
Riley’s Farm
Combine apple picking with a little history. Riley’s offers U-pick fruit, farm shopping, food, family activities, and living-history experiences with a colonial-era theme.
Willowbrook Apple Farm
Enjoy U-pick apples, a country store, farm animals, and the wonderfully hands-on experience of pressing your own cider.
Stone Pantry Orchard
A smaller orchard experience offering U-pick apples, seasonal fruit, and U-Press cider.
Stone Soup Farm & Heritage Orchard
Discover heritage apples, seasonal events, apple tastings, and a more traditional orchard experience.
Snow-Line Orchard
A fun stop for apple-season treats, cider tasting, cider donuts, and a relaxed orchard atmosphere.
Parrish Pioneer Ranch
Stock up on apples, cider, apple butter, and other Apple Hill favorites while enjoying the farm setting and visiting the animals.
Casa Solano Orchards
A seasonal destination for U-pick apples, multiple varieties of apples, and cider, with the harvest season traditionally extending from around Labor Day into November.
Harvest dates, U-pick availability, varieties, and activities can change with weather and crop conditions, so check individual farms before visiting.
Follow Your Nose to the Bakery
At some point during your adventure, something magical will happen.
You’ll smell cinnamon, then apples, then warm pastry… and suddenly, whatever farm you were planning to visit next doesn’t seem nearly as important.
Apple Hill is famous for its farm-fresh baked goods, including apple pies, turnovers, fritters, cider donuts, caramel apples, fudge, and other seasonal treats.
The Cider Donut Mission
Make your way to Rainbow Orchards for their famous made-to-order apple cider donuts—crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, and finished with cinnamon sugar.
They’re the kind of treat that makes you say, “We should get another one for the road.”
The Walking Pie
At Delfino Farms, try the famous warm apple pie served with cider sauce and vanilla ice cream in a cup—a wonderfully impractical dessert that becomes surprisingly practical when you’re strolling around the farm.
Fudge, Caramel Apples & More
Stop at places such as Abel’s Apple Acres for handmade fudge and classic candy apples, then wander through the farm shops for jams, preserves, baked goods, cider, gifts, and other delicious souvenirs.
Pick Your Own Adventure
Want to make your Apple Hill experience a little more hands-on?
Try U-pick apples at participating orchards such as Smokey Ridge Ranch and Pine-O-Mine Ranch, depending on seasonal availability.
There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about walking between the trees, choosing the perfect apple, and filling a basket together.
And yes, you’ll probably debate which apple is the “perfect” one. That’s part of the fun!
As autumn progresses, apples give way to another harvest favorite: Pumpkins!
Farms such as High Hill Ranch and 24 Carrot Farms offer seasonal pumpkin experiences, while other growers add fall decorations, family activities, and harvest attractions as the season moves toward October.
At Apple Ridge Farms, September brings flowers while October brings pumpkins, along with activities such as a kids’ maze, gem mining, a nature trail, and picnic areas.
Make It a Wine Country Date
Apples aren’t the only reason to raise a glass in the foothills.
The Apple Hill region is also home to wineries where you can slow down, enjoy a tasting, and take in the scenery.
For couples, a winery stop can be the perfect change of pace after a morning of orchard exploring. Stop and find a patio, share a glass, and take in the vineyard views.
Wine destinations in and around the Apple Hill area include:
- Boeger Winery
- Madroña Vineyards
- Wofford Acres Vineyards
- Edio Vineyards at Delfino Farms
- Starfield Vineyards
- Bumgarner Wine Tasting Camino
- 1850 Wine Cellars Tasting Room
And for wine lovers looking for something a little more behind the scenes, Boeger Winery’s Harvest Tours offer an opportunity to learn more about the winery, its history, and the winemaking process during harvest season.
Cheers to Hard Cider
Fall and apples were practically made for each other, and so was hard cider.
The Apple Hill Hard Cider Trail, running from September 12 through November 1, 2026, is a delicious way to explore participating growers and discover locally made ciders throughout the season.
Try a tasting, compare different cider styles, and grab something delicious to eat.
Then wander off to your next farm adventure.
Stop and Smell the Flowers
Apple Hill isn’t just about apples.
Depending on the time of year, the farms also burst into color with flowers and seasonal gardens.
The Flower Trail is a wonderful September experience, giving visitors another reason to get out of the car and explore on foot.
Imagine walking through rows of flowers with the foothills behind you, camera in hand, sunshine overhead, and your favorite person beside you.
Honestly, you don’t need a professional photographer. Apple Hill is doing most of the work.
Family Fun & Farm Adventures
Apple Hill isn’t only a romantic escape—it can be a wonderful family adventure too.
At High Hill Ranch, visitors can enjoy seasonal activities such as pony rides, trout fishing in a stocked pond, tractor-pulled hayrides, and a large artisan craft fair.
Children can burn off some energy while adults browse handmade crafts, seasonal foods, gifts, and farm products.
And somewhere along the way, everyone will probably end up holding an apple cider donut.
Don’t Forget the Craft Fair
Harvest season isn’t complete without bringing home something besides food.
The High Hill Ranch Craft Fair is a seasonal favorite, with handmade arts and crafts, gifts, food, and plenty of opportunities to browse while enjoying the orchard atmosphere.
It’s the perfect place to find a little something that reminds you of your weekend long after the apples have been eaten.
The Road Trip Is Part of the Adventure
One of the best things about Apple Hill is that there isn’t a single “main attraction.”
The magic is in the journey.
Wind your way through the foothills. Drive past orchards and vineyards. Follow a handwritten farm sign and stop at a bakery because you can smell the apples from the road.
Take the scenic route instead of the fastest route. Then discover a little farm stand and pull over.
The unexpected stops—the places you never planned to visit—can become the highlights of the entire trip.
It’s not just about the apples. It’s about the winding roads, the unexpected discoveries, the warm pastries, the crisp cider, the colorful orchards, the laughter, the photographs, and having nowhere else you need to be.
So grab your favorite person, put on your coziest sweater, leave a little room in the trunk for pie, and head for the hills.
Apple Hill is waiting—and harvest season is the perfect excuse to fall in love with fall all over again.
Apple Hill Harvest Season 2026
If you’re planning your getaway around special events, the 2026 season offers plenty of reasons to visit throughout September and October.
September
September 12–13 — Locals’ Weekend
A great way to kick off the harvest season.
September 12–November 1 — Hard Cider Trail
Explore participating growers and sample seasonal hard ciders.
September 19–20 — Flower Trail Weekend & Across the Canyon Weekend
Enjoy flowers, farms, scenic drives, and special seasonal experiences.
September 26–27 — Johnny Appleseed Instagram Contest & Harvest Wine Experience
A weekend that combines harvest scenery with the region’s wine culture.
September 26–27 — Boeger Winery Harvest Tours
Go beyond the tasting room and learn about the winery, its history, and the harvest process.
October
October is the heart of harvest season.
This is the time for colorful orchards, pumpkins, apple picking, warm pies, cider donuts, hayrides, farm animals, craft fairs, wine tasting, scenic drives, and all those little autumn moments that make Apple Hill special.
November
The harvest atmosphere continues into November with Nevada Days, October 30–November 1, followed by Veterans Day activities on November 11 at participating Apple Hill farms.
Late-season visitors can still enjoy beautiful fall scenery, late-season apples and baked goods, wine and cider tasting, artisan shopping, scenic drives, and the beginning of the Christmas-tree season.